Mugo Pine Full Flower

[RKatzin]

This Mugo has been in flower, alot of flowers, for well over a week. I'm planning to dig this tree soon and I'd like to get some advice.

Are the flowers draining energy from the tree that may be needed when I dig?

The tree is very healthy otherwise.

What makes one tree flower profusely while the one next to it has but a few and the one next down the line has none? Is it going to make cones? Seeds, more mugo! How do I stop this thing? Should I?

Sure wish we had just one guy that knows all about Mugo Pine (Rick covers his face to keep the overspray from hitting the monitor as he laughs his hairy butt off). Sincerly, Rick

 

[garywood]

Rick, now is probably the worst time for digging. New growth has a very high demand for water and digging would diminish the capacity to supply the demand. "Flowering" gymnosperms don't flower but I know what you mean Every living thing on the planet has one "job" and that is to reproduce. If "whatever" is on the cusp of dying then passing genes is what is important at the expense of other functions. On the other hand, Vibrant, healthy "whatever" passes its genes. So, take your pick They look vibrant to me. I seem to remember these trees from somewhere with a progression. If they are the ones I'm thinking about, they are an excellent example of what everyone that is growing for bonsai should know. Post embryogenesis and why does a tree do what it does. By the way, Good Growing!
Wood

 

[Vance Wood]

This Mugo has been in flower, alot of flowers, for well over a week. I'm planning to dig this tree soon and I'd like to get some advice.

Are the flowers draining energy from the tree that may be needed when I dig?

The tree is very healthy otherwise.

What makes one tree flower profusely while the one next to it has but a few and the one next down the line has none? Is it going to make cones? Seeds, more mugo! How do I stop this thing? Should I?

Sure wish we had just one guy that knows all about Mugo Pine (Rick covers his face to keep the overspray from hitting the monitor as he laughs his hairy butt off). Sincerly, Rick

From my experience I have the best luck moving, repotting, potting and digging out of the ground anytime after the 24th of June when the candles have extended and the needles have opened. This is for Mugo and Scots Pines and nothing else lest I get accused of recommending this be done on all Pines.

 

[RKatzin]

Thanks for the replies. I am sorry if I gave the impression that I was heading out the door with shovel in hand. Soon, in a ten year project, would be within the next month or two.

I think my season is a little advanced from yours and our winters are much milder overall. Although this one has been one of the harshest on record, it seems to have been a banner year for conifers here. Even my slow growing Aristata has four inch candles! I would bet that my Mugo candles open before the end of this month.

So, the 'flowers' are of no concern? I was wondering if I should let this one go till next year. I've seen Juniper that were doing poorly pop berries right before they kick the bucket. Like you said Gary, a last ditch effort to get the job done. I've seen these before on Mugo, but only a few at a time. The question also arises, is there something lacking in the other two that did not bloom? Maybe I just watch my trees too closely

 

[Paradox]

Most of us spend too much time staring at trees. Lol

The 'flowers' a.k.a. candles are not a concern.

I would wait until the later half of June to dig as Vance says. I've followed his advice with repotting mugos and my trees did fine.

 

[Vance Wood]

Thanks for the replies. I am sorry if I gave the impression that I was heading out the door with shovel in hand. Soon, in a ten year project, would be within the next month or two.

I think my season is a little advanced from yours and our winters are much milder overall. Although this one has been one of the harshest on record, it seems to have been a banner year for conifers here. Even my slow growing Aristata has four inch candles! I would bet that my Mugo candles open before the end of this month.

So, the 'flowers' are of no concern? I was wondering if I should let this one go till next year. I've seen Juniper that were doing poorly pop berries right before they kick the bucket. Like you said Gary, a last ditch effort to get the job done. I've seen these before on Mugo, but only a few at a time. The question also arises, is there something lacking in the other two that did not bloom? Maybe I just watch my trees too closely

Most of the time this is not a problem. You are seeing the polen cones, the active cones are generally at the very ends of the most active branches and are a purple color. You can remove those but most of the time a Mugo will not set more than two of them anyway and the cones are so small they are of little consequences.

 

[RKatzin]

Thanks for the advice gang. I'll go ahead as planned. I'm anxious to get these into pots so we can get a good look at them.

 

[RKatzin]

Just got back from the garden and took a couple of pics.

I swear these were not there yesterday. I stopped counting at 45 cones.

 

[Vance Wood]

Just got back from the garden and took a couple of pics.

I swear these were not there yesterday. I stopped counting at 45 cones.

The purple flowers are the pistols that will turn into cones. There seems to be quite a few of them and you might want to eliminate them.

 

[RKatzin]

Well now, this is more interesting than you might think. Let's just cop a squat and chew on this some.

You say I might want to remove them and I assume this is in light of wanting to bring the tree to a container this season. Yeah but, what if I wanted to propagate alot of mugo, can I get viable seed from the cones produced?

If that were the case I'd be willing to postpone my dig a year to collect the seed. I can hear the collective poohfoo at the mention of growing from seeds, but humor me with your thoughts, please. I would love to populate my property with trees I grew from my own seed. Call me sentimental, Rick

 

[Vance Wood]

Well now, this is more interesting than you might think. Let's just cop a squat and chew on this some.

You say I might want to remove them and I assume this is in light of wanting to bring the tree to a container this season. Yeah but, what if I wanted to propagate alot of mugo, can I get viable seed from the cones produced?

If that were the case I'd be willing to postpone my dig a year to collect the seed. I can hear the collective poohfoo at the mention of growing from seeds, but humor me with your thoughts, please. I would love to populate my property with trees I grew from my own seed. Call me sentimental, Rick

You mighjt be able to but I have never tried it because; I have never had the opportunity or the desire. However; you might then be confronted with choosing between cultivating a tree for stock purposes or for bonsai. Normally in bonsai cultivation you will lose most of the growth that produces these elements anyway. I would assume that they do produce cones with viable seeds due mostly to the information that in some places they have become feral and are invading local forests.

 

[RKatzin]

Thank you Vance. I have the opportunity and the desire so I'm going to see if I can make seed. I've never seen a mugo in the wilds, but I have seen some sprouts under landscape trees. I don't see any reason why I can't harvest the cones this year and bring the tree to a pot next year. Do you?

 

[Vance Wood]

Thank you Vance. I have the opportunity and the desire so I'm going to see if I can make seed. I've never seen a mugo in the wilds, but I have seen some sprouts under landscape trees. I don't see any reason why I can't harvest the cones this year and bring the tree to a pot next year. Do you?

I can't give you a horticultural reason other than the viability of the seeds (fertility) and the luck of growing them. Good luck, let me know how it goes.

 

[RKatzin]

Is there anything I can do to enhance seed production? On other flowers plants we drop the N and only give PK the increase flowering.

 

[Vance Wood]

Is there anything I can do to enhance seed production? On other flowers plants we drop the N and only give PK the increase flowering.

If I remember in my reading correctly Mugo seeds do not need to be stratifie, if you don't understand what that is you need to read something about it. If that is the case you could order some Mugo seeds from some other source which will probably give you more than you are going to get this way and still have a tree with some sort of trunk you can work with while the seeds germinate and grow.

The major problem with Mugos is right before your eyes: You have ten or twelve ways to go from the middle. You have so many options your mind tells you that you only have one.